Listics

In Berkeley on Grove at Rose… forgive me - on Martin Luther King Jr. at Rose, there’s a little burger place called Fat Apple’s. It was not always so. Once it was Fat Albert’s, named in honor of the loveable Bill Cosby character — the little dude made famous in stand-up and on 33 1/3 rpm vinyl by Mr. Cosby. The resaon for the name change isn’t well understood, but most of us who were forced to adapt assumed it was forced by the threat or the reality of an infringement suit by Mr. Cosby. This may or may not be true.

Continuing north, Martin Luther King becomes the Alameda. If you take the Alameda to Solano and head a few blocks west to Colusa, then follow Colusa all the way to Fairmount in El Cerrito, you come to the second Fat Apple’s location. For me (and others agree), the Berkeley site is best for burgers and fries and such. But for breakfast, I always prefer the El Cerrito location. It’s sunnier, newer, fresher somehow — and the pastries are presented better in their glass case by the cash register. It’s worth waiting in line for the food at either location.

Thanks to Ken Camp for reminding me of Cosby!